Method of tunneling.



No. 795,148. PATENTED JULY 11;, 1905. J. c. MBEM. METHOD or TUNNELING.

APPLIOA'IIOR FILED OUT. 14, 1903.

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m a ovum a7w nmmmmmniu Iumumnc No. 795,148. PATENTED JULY 18,1905.

J. c. MEEM.

' METHOD OF TUNNBLING.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 14, 1903.

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1\T0.'795,148. Patntea Zluly is, 1905.

NITED STATES PATENT C S JAMES C. WIEEM, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OROF TWVO-THIRDS TO THE BOROUGH CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEWYORK.-

l METHOD OF TUNNELING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 795,148, dated July18,1905.

I Application filed October 14, 1903. Serial No. 177,054.

T (1/571 whom it Vim/U Concern! In its entirety this invention comprises5 Be it known thatl, JAMEsU. Mnemacitizen novel methods of carryingforward the supof the United States, residing at Brool lyn,,in portingstructures beneath the tunnel roof the county of Kings and State of NewYork, simultaneously withthe progress of the exca- 5 have invented a newand useful Method of vation in the uppermost level of the tunnel,

Tunneling, of which the following is a specinovel methods ofconstruction and carrying fication. forward the roof-supportingstructures at a This invention relates generally to methods lower levelsimultaneously with the advance of tunneling, and more particularly to;methof the excavation at the lower level, and novel Io ods forconstructing large tunnels in which methods of bracing and tyingtogether the it is necessary to carry forward the excavaelements of thesupporting structure within 6 tion at a plurality of different levels.the tunnel as said supporting structure is ex-* The general ob; ect ofthe invention is to tended forward. improve methods of tunneling, sothat exca- In constructing atunnel in accordance with 5 vations maybccarried forwardsimultaneously this invention the advance of the toplagging at a plurality of different levels atalnaximum of theroof-support simultaneously with the 5 rate of speed and withoutmaterial danger of excavation is effected by the use of caps or collapseof the supporting structures emsupports of the character best shown inposiployedlin the tunneling processes. tion in Fig. 2 and in detail inFigs. 4:, 5, and

20 With this and other objects in view, as will 6. Each cap comprisescross-beams 1, each appear when the invention is better underprovided onits upper surface with a double stood, the same consists in the improvedtier ofupright members 2, formed, preferably, method of tunnelinghereinafter fully deof sections of I-beams and separated by a scribedand claimed. supporting member 3, preferably of metal.

5 In describing the invention reference will The upper tier of thespacing members 2 of be had to the accompanying drawings, formeach capaffords support for a waling-piece 4-, ing part of this specification,in which there preferably of planking, and the spacing memis illustratedby a series of figures of somebers 2 of both tiers are arranged at suchinwhat diagrammatic character the manner in tervals that lagging orpoling boards 5 and 5 3 which a tunnel is constructed in accordance maybe introduced between them and driven with this invention, it beingunderstood that forward in the directions indicated. in the 30 theapparatus exhibited may be varied or drawings without interference fromthe spacchanged as to shape, proportion, and exact ing members. mode ofassemblage of the elements without In constructing each cap or supportfor the 35 departing from the spirit of the invention or lagging-boardsthe lower tier of spacing memsacrilicing the advantages thereof. bers 2is first fixed upon the cross-beam 1. 8 5

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in lon- The supporting-piece 3 isthen fixed upon the gitudinal section through a portion of a tunspacingmembers of the lower tier, and the nel in process of construction. Fig.2 is a spacing members of the upper tier are then 4 transverse sectionalview of a'small tunnel fixed in position upon the supporting-piece,

being advanced on a single level. Fig. 3 is the waling-piece beingdetached from the upa transverse sectional view of a large tunnel, pertier of spacing or readily detachable there: showing the procedure inadvancing on sevfrom, although all the pieces of i-material eral levels,the right-hand side of the figure forming the cap may be detached, ifdesired.

45 being taken on the line a (t, Fig. 1, and the In operating with capsof the charaCt-er just left-hand side of the figure being taken ondescribed, assuming the set of lagging-boards the line 1) I), Fig. 1.Figs. 4:, 5, and 6 are de- 5 to be in position and the supporting-capstail views of different portions of the structherefor to be also in theposition indicated ture employed. in Fig. 1, a set of lagging-boards ois introduced in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 andthe excavation is carried forward from the foremost cap shown in Fig. 1,and the lagging-boards are driven forward as the excavation proceedsbeneath the roof. After the lagging-boards 5 have been driven forward.to a sufficient distance cantaliverbeams 6 are introduced beneath theforemost cap and supported upon uprights 7, as best seen in Fig. 2, andthe laggingis then blocked up from the cantaliver-beams, as shown inFig. 1. The excavation is then carried forward to the extent shown inFig. 1 and the lagging-boards 5 are simultaneously driven forward, thedriving forward of the laggingboards being facilitated by the beveledforward ends thereof. (Best seen in Fig. 4.) The excavation is thenextended downward to the level at which the supports for the caps arepositioned, and another cap is then set up under the forward ends of theboards 5 and a new set of lagging-boards is introduced under theboards-5 in the manner already explained. The excavation is then carriedforward and the new" set of lagging boards advanced in the manner justexplained.

As each new capis placed in position under the foremost set oflagging-boards the cantaliver-beams and the blocks supported thereby areremoved and are laid aside until the excavation has proceeded forwardsufficiently to permit their introduction to afford temporary supportfor-the next set of lagging-boards.

in selecting laggingboards proper care must be exercised to insure thefree movement of the lagging-boards between the spacing members withoutjamming, and in.introducing the boards they must beset in the inclinedposition shown in Fig. 1, the forward ends of each set of lagging-boardsbeing disposed between the spacing members of the upper tier ofstandards of the forward cap, and the rear ends of each set oflz-iggingboards being disposed between the spacing members of the lowertier of the rear cap. in this way the rear ends of each set oflagging-boards when in final position are overlapped by the forward endsof the set of laggirig-boards just behind.

.ln placing the caps in position as the lag ging is advanced anypreferred form of temporary support may be used. Afterward the temporarysupport must be removed and end other supports are introduced in lieuofthe caps, which are employed, primarily, to afford a support andguidance to the lagging-boards as they are driven forward simultaneouslywith the advance of the excavation.

By repeating the operation described in the preceding paragraphs as fastas the excavation is carried forward sufliciently to permit of theerection of the supporting-blocks, cap, and eantaliver-beams the laggingat the roof of the tunnel may be made continuous'and collapse of thetunnel-roof prevented.

The standards upon which the cap is supported rest on sills 10, as shownin Fig. 2. Temporary bridging-beams 11 are laid across the sills 10 in alongitudinal direction, and cross-beams 12, formed, preferably,insections and bolted together, are positioned on these latter beams.Bearing-caps 13 are then positioned in front just ahead of theheading-caps and are blocked up from the cross-beams 12. Longitudinalexcavations are then made, (and sheeted, if necessary,) and in thelongitudinal excavations two or more rows or sets of footbloeks 14 areplaced. Temporary supports are next placed under the cross-beams restingupon-the foot-blocks, and caps 15 are positioned under the cross beams.Inclined props 16 are then run from the foot-blocks to the caps 15 togive them permanent support. The caps 15 take the load of thecross-beams, while these props 16 are introduced in place of thetemporary supports.

The procedure outlined in the preceding paragraph may be varied in goodground,-if desired, by omitting the caps 15 and props 16 and making theuprights from the foot-blocks permanent.

Suitable support for the cross-beams having been positioned upon thefoot-blocks, a trench is then excavated and sheeted between and belowadjacent sets of foot-blocks, and a foundation is placed therein onwhich posts or props may be put to support longitudinal beams 17, fromwhich the roof-supports are again blocked while the sides and bottomexcavations are completed.

The completion of the tunnel-roof from the point reached may proceed byany desired method according to the nature of the proposed design, asthe succeeding steps in a turn nel construction do not depend upon themethod above outlined and form no part of the present invention. 7

The longitudinal beams 17 form a special feature of the present methodof tunneling and are preferably of one of the forms now to be described.The preferred design is that illustrated in Fig. 5, in which a beam isshown as made up of steel channels bolted together to form I-beams, thechannels being so arranged that the ends of each member overlap the endsof the members next thereto on the opposite side, so that they abutagainst the ends of the adjacent members on the same side. By arrangingthe members of the beam in this manner, with the joint between the twomembers on one side exactly opposite the middle of a member on the otherside, the greatest strength is obtained in the beam, and byconstructing; the beam in this way longitudinal supporting-beams may beformed which are much longer than any integral beams which could beintroduced through the tunnel-shaft. While steel channels are preferredfor the construction of the beams 17, timbers of rectangularcross-section may be arranged in the same manner, and T-beams, flatbars, angles Z-bars, or bars of any other desired shape may be employedinstead, provided they may be bolted or otherwise fastened together.

In lieu of the beams formed of sections boltcd together in the mannerillustrated in Fig. 5, ll-bcams having ends cut away so as to overlap,as illustrated in Fig. 6, may be substi tuted; but it will be obviousthat the bolts employed to connect the beam-sections will then besubject to greater strain than in the preferred structure. proceeds therear end members of the beam may be detached and carried forward to beagain bolted into place. Thus it is evident that by means ofsectional-beam structure all the advantages obtainable from strong beamswhose length is too great to permit them to be introduced through thetunnel-shaft are gained and the nnwieldiness of such beams is avoided.Such sectional beams may be used to advantage not only as continuousstringbeams 17, but in lieu of the cross-beams 12 and as tie-bars 18,hereinafterdescribed.

W'hile this system of tunneling is intended for use primarily withoutthe employment of compressed air within the tunnel, the introduction oflocks and such other appliances as are required for the use ofcompressed air has been provided for, so that compressed air may be usedin cormection with this method of tunneling, if so desired.

In solt ground the introduction of cast iron or steel pipes 19, lilledwith concrete or other form of piling, on which to rest the sills,footblocks, or the bottom of the structure, may be inchuled in thismethod of tunnel construction, and by using some form of piling for thepurposes spccilied this system of tunneling may be em ployed whereordinarily compressed air would have to be introduced. It may also bedesirable in soft ground to tie the caps of the supporting structurebeneath the tunnelroof together by longitudinally-disposedeoni'lections, and this may be conveniently done by inserting under thecaps continuous beams (preferably constructed as shown in Fig. 6) andblocking up the beams from the crossbeams 12, as shown at 18 in .l igs.1 and 3.

It is to be understood that the bracing herein described may be appliedto excavations a As the tunnel construction portion of which has beentaken u out in an open cut and which has been wholly or partly boardedover, as well as to excavations made wholly in a tunnel.

Having thus described I claim is- 1. A method of tunnel constructionconsisting in placing asupport having horizontal series of passagesbeneath the tunnel-roof, then introducing lagging through the saidpassages, advancing the lagging into the heading of the tunnel,excavating beneath the lagging, and placing a second support having likepassages under the forward ends of the lagging-boards.

my invention, what 2. In a method of tunneling, the step consisting inconstructing and introducing beneath the tunnel-roof a cap havingpassages, then passing lagging-boards through the passages when the capis in place, advancing said boards, excavating beneath them and finallysetting a second cap under the forward ends of said lagging-boards whenthey have been driven into place.

3. In a method of tunneling, the step con sisting in introducing beneaththe tunnel-roof supporting-caps, each having two superposed tiers ofspacing members, then introducing lagging-boards through the openingsbetween the upper tier of spacing members of the forward cap'and theopenings between thelower tier of spacing members of the rear cap, driving said lagging-boards forward, supporting the lagging temporarily,excavating below the lagging, placing another cap beneath the forwardends of said lagging-boards, blocking up said cap and removing thetemporary support of the lagging.

4c. In a method of tunnel construction, the step consisting inintroducing beneath the tunnel-roof a supporting structure having twosuperposed sets of spacing members, inserting lagging-boards through thespaces between the upper set of spacing members, excavating in front ofsaid si.lp )orting structure and advancing said lagging-boardssimultai'ieously with said excavation, introducing a second supportingstructure beneath the forward ends of said lagging-boards when advancedto the proper distance, introducing a second set of lagging-boardsthrough the openings between the lower spacing members of the lirstsupporting structure and between the upper spacing members of the lastsupporting structure, excavating in front of said last support andadvancing said set of lagging-boardssimultaneously with the advance ofsaid excavation.

5. In a method of tunnel construction, the procedure consisting inexcavating beneath the tunnel-roof, then placing temporary supportingstructures each having two sets of superposed spacing members thereon inposition beneath said roof,introducing lagging-boards between saidspacing membcrs as the excavation is carried forward and driving saidlaggingboards between said spacing members of the foremost supportingstructure simultaneously with the advance of the excavation, placingpermanent supporting structures in position beneath said lagging-boardsand removing said temporary supporting structures after the permanentsupporting structures have been placed in position.

6. In a method of tunnel construction, the procedure consisting inexcavating upon an upper level, sheeting and blocking the excavation inany preferred manner, setting crossbeams in said excavation, excavatingbeneath said cross-beams and setting foot-blocks in the excavationformed, blocking up the tunnelroof from said foot-blocks, sheeting andexcavating an open trench between the foot-blocks, placing a foundationin said trench, blocking up longitudinal beams from said foundation andproceeding in any preferred manner from that point.

7. In a method of tunnel construction, excavating, sheeting theexcavation, blocking up the roof, setting foot-blocks in the excavation,

excavating below said foot-blocks, placing a foundation 1n saidexcavation, blocking up longitudinal member's secured together to formcontinuous beams, mounting roof-supports upon said beams, and carryingforward the beams by detaching the rear members from said beams,carrying them forward and securing them in position at the forward endsof said beams.

8. In a method of tunnel construction, the procedure consisting inintroducing into the excavation sectional string-beams, erectingtemporary supporting structures successively above and below said beams,removing the rear structures, section by section, removing the rear endsections of the string-beams and carrying them forward and securing themto the forward ends of the string-beams and erecting the temporarysupporting structures removed from the rear, or substituting new onestherefor.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. MEEM.

Witnesses:

L. R. DIMIoK, T. J. MURPHY.

